Rodgers Theatre Building · Photo: Michael Gäbler · CC BY-SA 3.0Wet weather: 50 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Poplar Bluff, more than in 85% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 90° on average. A year here swings 64° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its July heat outdoes that of 77% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 29, with the first autumn frost due around November 5.
A year in Poplar Bluff at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Poplar Bluff’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Poplar Bluff’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Poplar Bluff feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 222 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Poplar Bluff, MO, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Poplar Bluff’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Poplar Bluff, MO, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; April is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Poplar Bluff
70% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Poplar Bluff, MO.
Living with Poplar Bluff’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
222 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 22 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Poplar Bluff from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Poplar Bluff and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Poplar Bluff yet.
Climates most like Poplar Bluff’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poplar Bluff, MO | 26° | 90° | 50" | 5.4" |
| Siloam Springs, AR | 26° | 90° | 48" | 6.5" |
| Glasgow, KY | 26° | 89° | 53" | 5.7" |
| Forest City, NC | 29° | 90° | 49" | 4.5" |
| Nashville, TN | 29° | 90° | 52" | 4.7" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Poplar Bluff averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.2°).
A smaller shift than in all but 112 U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Poplar Bluff compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Poplar Bluff’s place among Missouri’s.
Poplar Bluff weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Poplar Bluff’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Poplar Bluff, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 26° | 3.4" | 0.6" | 9 | 1 | 30° – 44° |
| February | 50° | 30° | 3.6" | 1.6" | 8 | 1 | 30° – 47° |
| March | 59° | 38° | 4.7" | 1.3" | 11 | 0 | 42° – 60° |
| April | 70° | 47° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| May | 79° | 57° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 67° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 59° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| October | 72° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| November | 58° | 37° | 4.6" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 53° |
| December | 48° | 30° | 4.1" | 1.7" | 9 | 1 | 27° – 46° |
| Year | 69° | 48° | 50.3" | 5.4" | 106 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 46°. July is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Poplar Bluff’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Poplar Bluff’s center.
- Snow: Poplar Bluff, MO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Poplar Bluff, MO, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Poplar Bluff’s climate
What is the weather like in Poplar Bluff?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Poplar Bluff in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Poplar Bluff get?
About 5.4 inches in a normal winter at Poplar Bluff, MO, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Poplar Bluff?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Poplar Bluff, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Poplar Bluff?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 222 frost-free days, at Poplar Bluff, MO.
What growing zone is Poplar Bluff in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Poplar Bluff?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Poplar Bluff getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 112 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Poplar Bluff.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.